Safety appliance for acetylene-gas generators.



J. HARRIS.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR ACETYLENE GAS GENERATORS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20, 1915.

Patented May 23, 1916.

2 3HEETSSHEET 1.

J. HARRlS.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR ACETYLENE GAS GENERATORS.

APPLICAHON FILED SEPT. 20. I915" Patented May 23, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

/ AN A a j 4a" 4a A I ll lllm QFFTE JOHN HARRIS, or CLEVELAND, OHIO.

sarn'r APPLIANCE Fen ACETYLENE-GAS eEnERAToRs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratmm May 23, 1916.

Application filed September 20, 1915. Serial'No. 51,556.

To all whom it may conem'n Be it known thattI, Jonx ITARRIS. a. citifollowing is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. I This invention relates to a-safety appliance for use with acetylene-gas generators, particularly of the type shown in my copending application No..8(l6,19l, tiled October 12, 1914, in whichconnection I have shown itfl-herein.

The apparatus disclosed in the above mentioned application involves a weight motor mechanism for feeding the carbid, such motor being controlled by the gas pressure within the apparatus; and while I will proceed to describe myinventionas applied to an apparatus having a-weight motor, 1t will be understood that the same may be employed in connection with other styles of carbid feeding mechanism without; in the least, departing from the spirit? of my invention.

The object of my present invention is to provide a; safety appliance that will automatically lock thecarbid feeding mechanism against operation when less than. a predetermined amount of water is in the generating chamber; and to construct the appliance in a very. simple manner and locate it outside of the generating chamber and in easy reach and view of the attendant, so that its production, installation and upkeep is reducedto a minimum expense of time and money, and its positive operation is assured- It is well known to those familiar with acetylene-gas production that a given amount of water should be present in the generating. chamber before any earbid is deposlted therein in order to produce a gas of comparatively low temperature and of desirable pressure. If less than the required quantity of water is presentin the generating chamber and a supply of carbid is deposited therein, a dangerous arises from the .rapid generation of a very hot gas of extremely high pressure which might result in the explosion of the apparatus. In the charging of an acetylene-gas generator, the operator may be interrupted condition after he has filled the carbid hopper with a quantity of cal-hid and before he has supplied the generating chamber with water.. Now, upon returning to his task, or the assummg of it by another party, the filling of the generating chamber with the water may be neglectedand the apparatus closed and the carbid feeding mechanism set in operation.

This will bring about the very dangerous situation above set forth, and to avoid such an occurrence I provide the safety appliance.

l is a front elevation of an acetylene-gas generator equipped with my safety appliance; Fig. 2 is a. fragmentary sectional front elevation of they generator shown in Fig. 1, showingthe driving connection between the weight motor and the carbid feeding mechan sm; Fig. 3 is a. sectional detail of the weight motor showing the locking device thereof, the drum and its gears being omitted; and Fig. at is a similar view of the filling receptacle of the generating chamber wherein is contained a float that is operatively connected to the locking device of the motor.

Referring to the drawings by the use of reference characters, 1 represents the generating chamber of the apparatus, above whlch is supported a carbid hopper 2 by a neck '3 through which the hopper and generating chamber communicate, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The hopper 2 is provided with the usual cover 4, which is held in place by a screw 5 that is threaded through a yoke 6 pivoted at its ends to the sides of the hopper opening, and the screw is protected by a shield 7 that is pivotally connected, through the links 8, with ears 9 that extend from the hopper.

The generating chamber may be filled with water through a filling receptacle 10 that is open at its upper end and has its lower end communicatively connected with the interior of the generating chamber through the pipe 11 in which there is a valve 12,- having an operating handle 13. An overflow pipe 14 communicates with the side of the filllng receptacle 10 at an elevation which corresponds to the constant water level of the generating chamber. Therefore, by opening the valve 12, and pouring water into the filling receptacle, which may be done conveniently by the use of a hose, the generating chamber is filled to one of the links 8. This arrangement.

cation above referred to.

until the water level rises to the overflow pipe of the filling receptacle, when it ind1- cates to the operator that the generating [chamber has received the required quantity It will be observed that the operating handle 13 is operatively connected to the shield 7, through a link 16, arm .17, and lever 18, the rear end of which is connected constitutes no part of my present invention and is clearly described in my appli- The operating handle 13 of the'valve 12 is also connected tothe gate of the sludge valve 15 through the telescoping rod 21 which is contracted to its minimum length when the sludgevalve is closed and the operating handle 13 is in its lowest position to close the valve 12.-

Upon opening the valve 12,for-the purpose of filling the generating chamber with water, the telescoping rod 21 is lengthened to allow the gate of the sludge valve 15 to be opened, as desired, and the shield 7 of the carbid hopper cover is swung rearwardly through the connections between it and the operating handle 13, already described.

Supported upon a horizontal branch, of

I a bracket 25 which extends out from one side of the hopper 2, is a weight motor 26 that comprises, generally, a pair of side plates that are substantially square and have their corresponding corners connected by tie bolts 27. A base 28 is located between the lower edges of the side plates, and said base is connected to the bracket 25. The motor 1s A cable 30 has one ofits ends fastened to the drum 30 and, after passing over a pulley 29, journaled in the outer end of the bracket 25, depends alongside the apparatus and has secured to its free end, a weight W. The drum 30 has a gear 32 which meshes with apinion 33 upon a shaft 34 that is journaled in the side plates and extends beyond the plate that is toward the front of the apparatus, where it is provided with a bevel pinion 35 that meshes with a similar pinion 36, fastened to the upper end of a shaft 37, theupper end of which is journaled in a bracket 38 that is fastened to the side plate of the motor. The shaft 37 contains two universal joints 39, and its lower end extends through a packing gland 40, which rises from a crank case 41, that is fastened to the side of the neck 3 of the apparatus.

As will be clearly seen from Fig. 2, the

into the crank case 41, has secured to it a crank 42 that is connected, through a link 43, with a rod 44 that extends diametrically through the neck 3 and has its free end contained within agas-tight. extension 45 of the neck. It may be explained that the interior ofthe apparatus communicates with the lnterlor of the crank case through openlugs 46, and communlcatlvely connected to the crank case, through the nipple47, is-a As will .be found diaphragm casing 48. upon .referrlngto my. former application already referred to, the diaphragm contained within the casingf48 isoperatively connected, through the link 50 and arm-51,

to a brake 52 that coeperates with a brake.

drum 53 that is fastened to a shaft 54; that and is pivotally' connected to the lower end. of one branch of a bell crank "58- thatis' pivoted to a bracket 59, supported :fromis journaled in theside plates of the motor. The shaft 54 also has secured to it a gear '55 that meshes with a second gear 32j fofr the aforesaid side plate of the motor. .The] opposite end of'the bell crank has connected 1 to it one end of a spring 60 that is anchored,

at its opposite end, to the side plate of the motor, adjacent its upper edge'f(see Fig. 3), This spring acts to rock the bell crank in a direction to withdraw the pin 57 from the apertures of the gear 55. Connected to the same end of the bell crank as the spring 60.

is a chain 65 which has attached to its op-f posite end a float 66 that reposes within the filling receptacle 10. To insure perfect freedom of movement of the float, the chain from which it is suspended is guided directly vertically above the fillingreceptacle between a pair of grooved rollers 67 that are carried by a bracket (38 that rises from the rear side of the filling, receptacle and is turned thereover some distance above its upper end. To prevent excessive freedom of the chain 65, I limit'the swinging movement of the upper end of the chain by connecting it, through a branch 69,to an eye 70 that depends from the horizontal branch of the bracket 25. a

The weight of the counteract the effect of the spring 60 and rock the bell crank in a direction to project the pin 57 into one of the apertures of the gear. 55, therebyto effectually lockthe motor against operation, for it will be remembered that the gear 55 meshes directly with the gear 32 of the drum 30. However when the water level within the fillin receptacle attains a height equal to that of the open end float 66 is sufficient to of the overflow pipe 14, the float 66 will be buoyed up enough to allow the spring 60 to withdraw the pin 57 fronthe gear 55 and unlock the motor.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the carbid feeding mechanism, which includes the weight motor, is effectually locked against operation except when the required amount of water is within the generating chamber. I

The generating chamber is provided with the usual outlet pipe 72, and a vent pipe 73 has connection, through a pressure operated valve Hand pipe 75, with the interior of the chamber.

While I have specifically described my invention in connection with an acetylenegas generating apparatus having a weight motor actuated carbid feeding mechanism, I wish to be understood as not limiting my invention to use with this particular type of carbid feeding mechanism, as it is obvious that the same may be employed in connection with various kinds of mechanisms for feeding the carbid from the hopper to the generating chamber; and furthermore I do not confine myself to the structural details disclosed herein, but reserve the right to modify the same to-any extent desired so long as I do not exceed the terms of the annexed claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A safety appliance for apparatus of the character set forth comprising, in combination, a motor for actuating the carbid feeding mechanism of the apparatus, a looking device for the motor movable into and out of motor locking position, means 'ten d .ing to move the locking device out of locking position, and a float which rises and falls with the water level of the generator and which has operative connection with the locking device so that the weight of the float, when the water level is below a predetermined elevation, will move the locking device into locking position.

2. A safety appliance for apparatus of the character set forth comprising, in combination, a motor for actuating the carbid feeding mechanism of the apparatus, a locking device for the motor that is movable into and out of motor locking position, means tending to move the device out of locking position, a filling receptacle communicating with the generating chamber, said filling receptacle having an overflow which determines the water level of the generating chamber, a float within said filling receptaole, and operative connections between said float and the aforesaid locking device, whereby the weight of the float, when the water level of the filling receptacle is below the overflow thereof, will move the looking device into locking position.

3. A safety appliance for apparatus of the character set forth comprising, in combination, a motor for actuating the carbid feeding mechanism of the apparatus, said motor involving a rotatable member that is provided with a pin receiving aperture, a locking pin for cooperation with the aperture of-said member, a spring tending to retain the pin out of cooperation with the aperture, a filling receptacle communicating with the generating chamber of the apparatus, a float within said receptacle, and operative connections betweenthe float and .the locking pin whereby the pin is moved into cooperation with the aperture and against the tension of the aforesaid spring by the weight of the float, when the water level in the filling receptacle is below a pre determined elevation.

signature.

JOHN 

